In early June, El Paso VA held its first free food distribution event and more than 100 Veterans took advantage of the new resource.

El Paso VA’s Center for Development and Civic Engagement (CDCE) is working with two key community partners—El Pasoans Fighting Hunger Food Bank and the Armed Forces YMCA—on this summer-long initiative.

Men with supplies at food insecurity event
“Bottom line: No one should go hungry.”

The goal is to minimize the impact of food insecurity by feeding Veterans in need. Every Wednesday, the distribution starts at 8:30 and continues until supplies run out for that day.

Food insecurity a significant issue

Food insecurity is a serious and significant issue affecting many Americans either daily or at the end of the month when financial resources are exhausted. Food insecurity is especially prevalent among Veterans who are homeless, at risk of homelessness or those who have recently moved into transitional or supportive housing.

“Our food distribution is so important because one out of nine working-age Veterans live in food insecure households,” said CDCE Chief Ronald Rucker. “By joining with community partners, VA is working to combat hunger. The bottom line is no one should go hungry.”

El Paso VA’s food distribution events are easily accessible by using the Alabama entrance to the VA campus. Veterans don’t need to get out of their cars. Just get in line, check-in with CDCE staff and have the foodstuffs placed in your trunks.

Food insecurity can have lasting effects on a person’s physical and mental well-being and the food distribution events are one way VA is tackling this very serious issue. If you’re a Veteran in need, VA is here for you.

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2 Comments

  1. I'm Virginia and my husband is darrel June 29, 2023 at 01:02

    Been married to my husband going on 49 years now. He is a Vietnam veteran and I love my Vietnam veteran. This man has had malignant soft tissue sarcoma Fibrosarcoma in 2001 and has never been compensated for it. He has not been back to our bed since the horrible surgery that took so much of his shoulder out from the cancer. Has not been able to lay in a bed since and sleeps sitting up with his neck down , said all the muscles hurts in his back, neck and shoulder said everything pulls so tight when he tries to lay flat. It’s been such a long time since he has slept in our bed and it’s not right that he has to go through that pain. It’s not right that I hear his pain when he’s trying to sleep. I know that agent orange was the reason for all this pain we’ve both been through. I married him when I was 19 and he was 25 just out of Vietnam from serving 4 years with the United States Navy. There was a small indention on the back of his shoulder that I could put my thumb in. Then over the years it started to grow outward and then comes the pain and it started to look like a huge golf ball . Started to bother him more and more so in 2001 or 2 he went to the Dr and Dr done surgery and it was a grey deterring mass so they biopsied it and pathology report came back showing it to be Fibrosarcoma a soft tissue sarcoma. They wanted to take his whole shoulder off but instead cut into him so deep I could put both my fist in when I was cleaning him out. For nights I cried and cried for him and his pain. To this day I still hear his pain when he’s sleeping sitting up in his recliner every single night and day since 2001 or 2. I think the va should compensate him for all these years he has suffered from his pain from his Fibrosarcoma a malignant soft tissue sarcoma. His scar from this cancer is very large. It looks like a thousand leg sentapede. He did not deserve this pain he has went through. Now he passes out sometimes when va take blood and VA says he doesn’t have ishmemc heart disease. I know he does. He has never been recognized for his service in the US Navy. He also lost all his medals , his Navy uniform and everything when he lost his storage one day. He is now 74 years old and he still salutes the flag Everytime the national anthem comes on the tv or radio , he is still one of the best darn vietnam veterans you could ever ask for to protect his country and he would do it all over again accept the part where they treated him bad when he came home. That was not right for anyone to be treated like that. He fought for you and I so we all could be free and how did he get treated , none of our Vietnam veterans got a parade , a hug, not even a thank you when they returned home. Now look at what they have to deal with 50 years later from all that agent orange and other chemicals they had to breath. It’s caused too many health problems on them but I want you all to know that I will always love my Vietnam veteran

  2. Kyle Workman June 28, 2023 at 15:37

    Thanks to all involved for taking care of our Veterans.

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